[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6426476,"mediaKeyId","5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f","parentId",5888188,"title","Minot council adopts 2026 budget, lowers levy and directs economic-development sales tax to property-tax relief","audioSeconds",3778,"startMs",1206000,"endMs",4984000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f&start=1206&end=4984","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f/thumbnail_1206000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6426476/Minot/Ward-County/North-Dakota/Minot-council-adopts-2026-budget-lowers-levy-and-directs-economic-development-sales-tax-to-property-tax-relief","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426476-a0e5ce65ae60aec3aec8c6bb6150c04a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966232&Signature=mVnus5PinCSr-hQ2J71TZb04SI2EZHpK3~TRC0omEUwKjFbV8EQxkNIDdHIzWby9CHyu7qD-Jgk~1xgQbChd9-SnQpjrgXY9yMdu5M2mEJHFjool7Rbdkuou0RMFPI7FAHuabUpZFBD9J-ai61GDGuwj8lQRUrlqyr5dZV6lvPLYXIni5yR-OavleFymN6N0wXYci1147Fyy~I2hQMXwo7tzEzAd1RRuOw9VsfIzQckFxdiKqUfkrHh7Sqe9MujYUXfO2z9GcPK5XNS2CFzSvgcMCxaPfodWSrZ4m-aZuCXtPWebe0m4VM4NoTRiAkAOziABaYhSrRnmDVagYwrwvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Minot, ND","date","2025-10-06T22:27:03Z","article","The Minot City Council adopted the 2026 budget on second reading Tuesday, approving a plan staff described as “just under $217,000,000” while directing that remaining economic-development sales-tax dollars be transferred to the general fund to reduce the city property tax levy.

Councilors passed the ordinance on a 6-1 vote after a lengthy public and council debate and a series of amendments and procedural motions over two evenings of discussion.

Why it matters: Finance Director Lakefield told the council the budget as presented would levy “just over $22,000,000” and, as drafted at first reading, would translate to a city property tax burden of roughly $968 annually for a home at the $249,000 median sale price cited in the assessor’s report. Councilors said the final package balances near-term property tax relief with one-time uses of reserves for capital needs and enterprise equipment purchases.

Major actions and amendments
- Sales-tax ordinance (first-penny economic-development change, item 7.1): The council debated competing motions and approved the ordinance as presented, 4-3. (Several council members warned the language requires follow-up budget work because of how funds are allocated.)
- Enterprise vehicle and equipment replacements: Council approved an amendment to fund enterprise-fund vehicle and equipment replacements in the amount of $1,171,000 (vote 6-1). Fleet manager Chuck Schmidt and utilities staff described the list as sanitation-, water/sewer- and cemetery-focused; each purchase will return to council for contract approval.
- Staffing: Council approved restoring one heavy-equipment operator position funded from enterprise funds (motion carried 4-3); the position was described by utilities staff as needed to avoid recurring service gaps.
- Pension deposit proposed amendment: A motion to convert $2,000,000 that had been identified for a taxpayer refund into the city’s pension trust fund failed 2-5.
- Facade improvement program: Council earmarked $200,000 from the economic-development portion of the sales tax to continue the downtown facade program (vote 5-2); staff said existing fund balance plus the allocation would cover applicants currently working with architects.
- Transfer of economic-development balance to general fund: The council directed finance staff to transfer remaining first-penny economic-development dollars (except for $665,900 for MACEDC and the $200,000 facade allocation, and to retain funds needed for agreed-upon-procedure expenses) to the general fund for property-tax relief (vote 5-2).
- Additional property-tax reduction: Council voted to apply $1,634,276 in identified funds to reduce the mill levy (unanimous).
- Final passage: After amendments and motions, the budget ordinance on second reading passed 6-1 (Alderman Pittner dissenting).

Council discussion and context
Finance Director Lakefield repeatedly warned the council about revenue risks: year-to-date sales-tax collections were running behind prior-year levels and delinquent property-tax collections have risen toward 9 percent. Lakefield said bond-financing and the ongoing cast-iron water-main replacement program will require attention to debt-service reserves.

Councilors who supported the budget said the package prioritized projects such as the police facility, water infrastructure and continued flood-control work while returning excess sales-tax dollars to taxpayers. Councilors in opposition said the package relied on reserves and threatened long-term sustainability. “I will vote no on this budget,” Alderman Pitner said during the final discussion.

What comes next
Staff will execute the transfers and bring the specific capital and enterprise purchases back to the council for contract approval. Council direction also created a clearer path for how the city will apply the first-penny economic-development sales tax going forward.

Ending note
Councilors repeatedly warned voters and service customers about uncertainties tied to revenue performance and rising long-term maintenance and debt-service obligations; staff said the city will continue to present updates and potential midyear amendments if collections materially differ from projections.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Minot City Council Meeting 10/6/25 at 5:30 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","The Minot City Council adopted the 2026 budget on second reading Tuesday, approving a plan staff described as “just under $217,000,000” while directing that remaining economic-development sales-tax dollars be transferred to the general fund to reduce the property tax levy.","taxTitle","Minot, Ward County, North Dakota","taxId",55035,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426461,"Local-preference bidding policy fails after council debate over local advantage vs. open competition",469,5356000,5825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f&start=5356&end=5825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f/thumbnail_5356000.jpg","/articles/6426461/Minot/Ward-County/North-Dakota/Local-preference-bidding-policy-fails-after-council-debate-over-local-advantage-vs-open-competition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426461-816d452a49f9c9a31ec6ce2d76150d5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966232&Signature=TrvIEFacD6rklD32zJ57lDs1mz-n9NJxPtSyIntGYgO7sXxApG0~h60ottiLq~UyJWJyTOkM4ZeYzuTWqAYPoDWYiCZFoSot0l2seh4G2PcLF3CCmsqaCgv9JGjLVI33EYgGaalu7qHNsXh8j6eUN~v~LXu~KimSIeiTFFIf~mbhyxXfycsIQDiMwKi7hsdOvNvM4UL7NdnFOSh7ztty7RnTWSoKCi5wZZrq4O68BKYxVoQ9jZJuQvJCJAyIDWDBXzVx~TE0Pgj4PDVQarpDOxHzF2U4fTgiVnTJTNfR6QWUGUBjhZMfVuXPPWjy8w2Ud72fF1xavJ6pVwY7wWFOcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minot City Council voted down a proposed local-preference bidding policy that would have given a small purchasing advantage to in-city bidders on some municipal contracts.

The measure failed 3-4 after councilors debated whether a local preference would help small local businesses or raise bid prices and discourage outside contractors from competing on larger projects.

Supporters said the ordinance would help local businesses capture tax dollars they had already paid and keep work and payroll in the community; Alderman Fuller argued it would support payroll and small-business reinvestment. Opponents said the policy risks higher contract costs and could reduce competition; Alderman Olsen said constituent contacts urged her to oppose the proposal and she intended to “be their voice.”

The final vote was 3 in favor and 4 opposed, defeating the proposed local-preference policy.

Ending: The council left procurement unchanged; staff and councilors will continue to discuss economic-development tools outside of the purchasing code.","The Minot City Council considered a local-preference procurement policy that would give a modest preference to local bidders; the measure failed 3-4 after councilors argued the policy could raise bid prices and exclude nonresident contractors.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426468,"Council approves three planning items: preliminary plat, easement vacation and zoning text cleanup",231,534000,765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f&start=534&end=765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f/thumbnail_534000.jpg","/articles/6426468/Minot/Ward-County/North-Dakota/Council-approves-three-planning-items-preliminary-plat-easement-vacation-and-zoning-text-cleanup","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426468-b101a3a84239dedb0fac527da3f18643/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966232&Signature=kpnk5Xp4M2epC6Hr2i7l4LeNDR1zdVKbcqKcvbOjbpmGd1SFBEwmWCd2h-Ubm3Fv76PAq5r7FJbQqhknJmLuWVaElnFVT7QXe8ANEp0bMahHFdStyxorsTnD1LAd11iUKPdEaoBvyafBne5L4YZIOLJScYMCfCHguDOkPa3dZHdJGklefgMEYLYEQPoBdTwtakG7SB~BU5irIFfqV9nhqrTg3vStlMlXND91CHR2db6TY9AWLtzfak1NUlAW5K3k~XFKntmJvyeRJYLKE1IZGyXI8SX8aIvHfinAaPM44PcLEIz1QWGRUZyE1DxEeYv9CFaqxyEwD36gFbG-91kMTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minot City Council unanimously approved three items forwarded from the Planning Commission after brief public-hearing steps with no public testimony.

The council closed the hearings and voted to:
- Approve the preliminary plat for Lynna’s Sixth Edition, Lots 1 and 2 (agenda item 5.2).
- Approve the vacation of an easement in Battleground Addition Lot 11 (agenda item 5.3).
- Approve a set of cleanup text amendments to the development regulations consistent with the Planning Commission recommendations (agenda item 5.4).

Each item was presented with a staff recommendation that the council adopt the Planning Commission’s recommendation; no members of the public spoke for or against these items during the hearings. Councilors thanked staff for the care taken in vetting the ordinance and code cleanups.

The approvals were taken as consent to move these land-use items forward; each motion carried unanimously.

Ending: These actions clear the way for the developer of Lynna’s Sixth Edition to proceed with the preliminary plat process, resolve the identified easement status in Battleground Addition, and implement minor code clarifications intended to align city documents with commission recommendations.","The Minot City Council closed three public hearings and approved the Planning Commission’s recommendations to advance a preliminary plat (Lynna’s Sixth Edition Lots 1 & 2), vacate an easement in Battleground Addition Lot 11, and adopt text amendments to the development code.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426453,"Wheelchair user tells council Minot transit and sidewalks aren’t meeting ADA needs",285,10164000,10449000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f&start=10164&end=10449","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f/thumbnail_10164000.jpg","/articles/6426453/Minot/Ward-County/North-Dakota/Wheelchair-user-tells-council-Minot-transit-and-sidewalks-arent-meeting-ADA-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426453-ca91f79fcb15915709c74f8337e94e7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966232&Signature=o9WgP1YIBmikohuN9wG8J2Ziov54r0kDtKTw9WSMPN3gjdhVIU3VnKwwxoIlxrVBaJPAPe~TL9sXnKIVMpI61PB-ysIyU9o-lkaR6KbClhfXSrOdCL9y88OalV91iTmF6DWheBFo9HDDmwAn105ZmGgS6gR4GOt8E6RZS9iJE50oOyR8KqtMyysn9hcmjBkTqUUGCw6e-Jr7AwkiQV~BvXLrJRnmK4yGNmQO5g4Z6VcpUdXf8YwyOsAsuReyY3~rvpptCuFpZCv6BLKOrISQku7wy~YjCOE0xHMTnSiBCyGOW9P6V1Olru34aHKhA1KMrb27pqbVWGsg4o0XeYe--w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A public commenter told the council that Minot’s transit system and some sidewalk closures are not meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) needs and described several recent negative experiences.

In public comment, Billy Gunderson said he had attempted to board a City/Amtrak bus after the North Coast Fest and that a driver told him a “special bus” would be sent; he said the exchange made him feel isolated. Gunderson described repeated mechanical problems — lifts that would not operate, buses that would not kneel and HVAC problems — and recounted being asked to wait for a subsequent vehicle during subfreezing conditions.

Gunderson also criticized the timing and handling of sidewalk closures on Burdick Expressway during the fair, saying alternate routes required long detours and created safety risks for wheelchair users. He urged the city to hire a third-party reviewer to audit ADA compliance for planning and inspections.

Quote: “The city of Minot continues to marginalize the disabled,” Gunderson said during his remarks.

Council response: Councilors thanked Gunderson for the report. Several councilors noted that maintenance and vehicle-replacement decisions are tied to prior budget choices and that staff would be asked to review the operational points raised. No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff were directed to follow up with the commenter and report back as appropriate.

Ending: Staff will log Gunderson’s concerns and return with a report on transit lift reliability, schedule impacts and sidewalk detour planning.","A resident raised accessibility concerns about Minot’s buses and sidewalk openings, saying bus lifts and some stops are unreliable and that sidewalk closures during events created hazards for mobility-device users.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426459,"Council adopts administrative and infrastructure items and creates land-development partnership committee",1316,5599000,6915000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f&start=5599&end=6915","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5888188-d542e133a5b1cc7ef19f40596ad3005f/thumbnail_5599000.jpg","/articles/6426459/Minot/Ward-County/North-Dakota/Council-adopts-administrative-and-infrastructure-items-and-creates-land-development-partnership-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426459-e0e8d91c8aa205db5ff23e9787bc2bf5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966232&Signature=kERwgM1VL-ZKoLuvRSS~P8-VS6sTArJAyLDCm9guz~UbEIAejtDyQ9zJ4TiNMd7J5MHjVcA83FlEuV5j7MI2NYQE1Q-71vh1cWxGe1RD3DHYN0vjbUi~itVTV~64KC0ABynBvTKNeVeAQHF4ejAFK2fjKF7PlbkmCdTU1ChfRoDvptrUrA~4ga00omA5AmgWKGl9C7z~x6pGnO5Jp3X8JPma8mHMkAjugljDa~QX9tiNDUVD9u1EKw-unbN9iaU81WfZbjWbkNsjRC8yf9wtPp8vFKvZBF~R5bNKyhY~-gWm0jfBOpRGDXHi54UEtMlu-dxsr5y40-ukcOEax5UEPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minot City Council took several noncontroversial administrative and infrastructure actions and created a new committee to pursue land-development incentives.

Key approvals
- Updated capital asset policy (item 7.3): Council adopted an updated capital-asset policy unanimously.
- Water service upsizing for Exceptional Health Care (item 7.5): Council approved a developer-requested upsize of a water main; staff told council the pipe upsizing would better fit longer-term half-mile loop plans and that the developer would pay the incremental costs tied to upsizing.
- Landfill permit budget amendment (item 7.6): Council approved an appropriation to update landfill permit requirements.

Land-development partnership committee (miscellaneous)
Council directed staff to work with Alderman Pittner to stand up a land-development incentive partnership committee. Pittner proposed a committee of roughly 11 voting members (two council members, a builder/developer representative, two lenders, two local real-estate agents, a member at-large and representatives from overlapping taxing entities) with city staff in a support role (engineer, planner, attorney, manager). The council approved the direction unanimously and asked staff to return with membership recommendations and a scope of work.

Why it matters
Staff told council that an assembled, cross-sector committee could identify regulatory bottlenecks, match landowners and builders, and more quickly produce shovel-ready lots. Councilors said Minot’s housing shortage and tight lot supply make this a pressing priority.

Ending
Staff will work with Alderman Pittner to draft a membership list, scope and schedule for the committee and return to council for approval; the capital policy and infrastructure items are adopted and will be implemented through the appropriate departments.","Councilors unanimously adopted an updated capital asset policy, authorized upsizing of a water main for a proposed health campus, approved a landfill-permit budget amendment and directed staff to form a land-development partnership committee to accelerate housing and infill development.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Minot council adopts 2026 budget, lowers levy and directs economic-development sales tax to property-tax relief

Local-preference bidding policy fails after council debate over local advantage vs. open competition

Council approves three planning items: preliminary plat, easement vacation and zoning text cleanup

Wheelchair user tells council Minot transit and sidewalks aren’t meeting ADA needs

Council adopts administrative and infrastructure items and creates land-development partnership committee